Procedure may reduce stroke risk with irregular heartbeat

By Shefali S. Kulkarni NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A heart procedure may be an effective alternative for treating the leading cause of strokes in the U.S., an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation, suggests a large new study. In a group of nearly 38,000 people, researchers compared individuals with similar stroke risk profiles to one another, and found that those with atrial fibrillation who underwent the catheter ablation procedure fared better than those on medications alone over three years. …